Electro-Shock on The Rise in British Columbia; Torture, Not Treatment

Electro shock now used in all psychiatric hospitals in British Columbia and general hospitals with a psychiatric ward. Woman says electroshock permanently destroyed segments of her memory: Says procedure is torture not treatment.

Example: (PRWEB) August 28, 2005 -- A staggering 46,000 electroshocks have been given to British Columbians by psychiatrists in the past five years, almost doubling the amount delivered in the previous five years and totaling 3,143,536 taxpayer dollars in their pockets.

The number of shocks peaked in the year 2000 when psychiatrists got a pay increase to $70.66 each time they pulled the switch, a practice which a Coquitlam woman, says wiped out large segments of her memory,

Ms. Breena Crawley said electroshock is not treatment but torture; that since undergoing a series of these shocks her long-term memory has been irreparably damaged. She has joined with local watchdog group, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), to have electroshock banned.

Brian Beaumont president of the Vancouver chapter of CCHR said, "psychiatrists try to persuade the population into believing that electroshock is not the bone-crunching procedure of some years ago and that the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest is not a true depiction of a normal psychiatric ward but this is nowhere near the truth. Electroshock still gets the same effect as hitting someone on the head with a sledge hammer and psychiatric wards are actually worse than depicted in one flew One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. Electric shock creates memory loss and irreparable brain damage and is now being used in every psychiatric hospital and general hospital with a psychiatric ward in British Columbia."

"What began as a trip to a hospital to treat what I thought was a nervous breakdown, turned into a nightmare. They did not tell me anything. A psychiatrist ordered a number of electric shocks. I cannot remember how many I had. The next day they took me for the shocks they did not put me out. I begged and cried for them to put me out but I was told they could not because they had such a hard time bringing me around the last time. I could have died. I saw another girl who had received electric shock three times a day. It was terrible. She didnt even know what she was doing. When I got out of the hospital I ran away and never looked back until this day. After these electroshocks, I was in a daze. I dont remember people I used to know and things I used to do and do not think I ever will, said Breena.

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights was established by the Church of Scientology to investigate and expose psychiatric violations of human rights.

If you know of anyone, even a child, who has be damaged by any psychiatric practices please call the Citizens Commission on Human Rights at 1-800-670-2247

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